Passage of Cr-EDTA through the digestive tract of cattle and
sheep
D.P. Poppi and D.J. Minson
Department of Animal Production, University of Queensland, St
Lucia 4067, Australia and CSIRO, Division of Tropical Crops and
Pastures, St Lucia 4067, Australia
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production.
1980, 40: 145-149
After a single injection of Cr-EDTA into the rumen of cattle and
sheep, the faecal excretion curve of Cr was analysed to determine the
passage rate constant k1, of Cr in the rumen and
k2 in the caecum and proximal colon, the transit time and
total mean retention time in the digestive tract. Cattle tended to have
a slower passage rate constant, k1 in the rumen, and this was
associated with a high efficiency of cattle for digesting forage. Cattle
had a higher value of k2 in the caecum and proximal colon
than did sheep. There was little difference in the total mean retention
time of Cr between cattle and sheep.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
Last Updated 12-09-1998
